GIS - 13 December, 2017: No one can deny the reality of climate change and its impacts. We are all vulnerable and the urgency of the situation calls for concrete and immediate measures to ensure the survival of our planet and the well-being of future generations.

This statement was made by the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, yesterday at the One Planet Summit in Paris, France to promote green investments to fight global climate change. He was addressing the panel on the resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) regarding climate commitments at the Seine Musicale Ile Seguin, Boulogne-Billancourt in Paris.

In his intervention, Mr Jugnauth dwelt on the numerous challenges that SIDS such as Mauritius are facing and the vulnerability of those countries to the effects of climate change. The effects are already being witnessed with the rising water levels, changing rainfall patterns, flash floods, erosion of beaches and prolonged drought, in addition to the risk of intense cyclones, he added.

On this score, the Prime Minister called for immediate and concerted global action to achieve a common goal for SIDS that is to strengthen resilience in the wake of natural calamities emanating from climate change effects. He enumerated some of the measures put in place by Mauritius as means to deal with the issue. They are, namely adoption of a framework for the management and reduction of risks related to natural disasters and review of adaptation strategies and action plans in key sectors such as agriculture, water, fisheries and ecosystems, tourism and the coastal zone.

Moreover, Mr Jugnauth stressed that the objectives to tackle climate change do not solely rest on SIDS but a strong collaboration and commitment is required on behalf of the industrialised countries in terms of access to finance, capacity development and technology transfer and other such assistance. He further emphasised that it is essential that industrialised countries increase the commitment to developing countries in the process of implementing their commitments.